Statement of Faith
1. INSPIRATION
A. “We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired Word of God. These sixty-six books, the complete and divine revelation of God to Man, are inerrant, infallible and God-Breathed in the original writings, and therefore are the supreme and final authority for faith and life.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Verbally: This refers to the fact that the Bible, even its very words, are true and without error in the original writings. Therefore, more than just the thought or concepts is inspired, but also every word inspired. (Matthew 5:17,18; Proverbs 30:5-6) The word “plenary” is often used with “verbal” to give the view that all Scripture is fully equally inspired. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)
ii. Inspired (Inspiration): Inspiration is that particular work of God's by which the Holy Spirit, becoming the Co-Author of Scripture, supernaturally directed by the writers of Scripture, and without excluding their human intelligence, their individuality, their literary style, their personal feelings, or any other human factor, Gods own complete and coherent message to men was recorded in perfect accuracy and the very words of the Bible bear the authority of this divine authorship. Inspiration is not equivalent to dictation except in certain instances as God uses the experience, feelings, and thinking of the human author. The result, however, is just as accurate as if God, himself, had taken the pen. Hence, the Scriptures were inspired, or breathed out by God; and though the authors were fallible men, what they wrote was without error. (2Peter 1:20,21) Inspiration does not suppress intellectual ability and talents, but rather uses the intellectual ability and talents. (Luke 1:1-3, Samuel 23:2)
iii. Inerrant: Inerrant means the Scriptures in their original writings were without error. (John 10:35; Luke 16:17)
iv. Final Authority: The scriptures are God's special revelation (Communication of Truth) to man; and because they are inspired and inerrant, they become our final authority. However, be careful to note what the Bible indicates as not being authoritative, such as Satan’s statement to eve in the Garden of Eden, “Ye shall not surely dies.” (Genesis 3:4,5; 2 Timothy 3:16,17)
2. THE TRINITY
A. “We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Three in one, coequal in power and glory, coeternal in being, coidentical in nature, and having the same attributes and perfections, which is the Trinity.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Eternally Existing: There is but one God (Isaiah 45:5; Mark 12:29-32) Who has no beginning and no ending. (Psalms 90:1-4; Genesis 1:1)
ii. Three in One: The words or thoughts of man can never fully define the doctrine of the Trinity. However, the bible clearly describes the Trinity as being three persons, co-equal, eternally existing – yet one. (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Isaiah 48:12-16)
iii. Co-Equal in power and glory:
1. The Bible tells us that the Father is God. (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2)
2. The Son is recognized as God. (John 1:1, 20:28; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20; Philippians 2:6, 1 Timothy 3:16)
3. The Holy Spirit is also identified as God. (Acts 5:3,4)
3. THE INCARNATION
A. “We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful men.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. The Lord Jesus Christ: In His incarnation, Christ’s divine nature united with a sinless human nature and received a human body in an indivisible union, and so He became the God-Man. (Philippians 2:5-8) Two natures (deity-humanity) in one Person – perfect God, and perfect Man. (Mica 5:2; John 14:9,10; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 5:20; Jude 25)
ii. Conceived of the Holy Spirit: This was a divine act of God. (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1L:26-38)
iii. Born of the Virgin Mary: The son of God was born of a woman, who was a virgin. (Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 7:14) He was God incarnate. (John 1:1,3,14,18; Galatians 4:4,5)
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. “We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. He is the Life of every believer, and he empowers the preaching and teaching of the Gospel.”
B. Term Explained:
i. Holy Spirit: The holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity – equal with the Father and Son. (John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3,4)
ii. Convicts: This purpose of the Holy Spirit is seen in Christ’s words in John 16:7-11. He also restrains Satan until God's purpose is fulfilled. (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
iii. Life: The Holy Spirit is the agent of the New Birth (John 3:5-7). At the moment of conversion, a believer is regenerated, indwelt, sealed and baptized into the Body of Believers. (1 Corinthians 12:13) After conversion, the Holy Spirit is the strength and guide of the believer’s life. (Ephesians 1:13; John 16:13; Romans 8:26-27) The believer is commanded to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit. This yielding to the control of God in our lives is the Fullness of power and guidance (Ephesians 5:18)
iv. Empowers: He empowers the spreading of God’s Word in testimony, preaching, and practical living. (John 15:26-27)
5. MAN
A. “We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God. That he sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature. And those who reach moral responsibility become sinners in thought, word, and deed.”
B. This statement is self-defining. We will merely take the phrases and give scriptural references.
i. Created in the image of God: Man was created with the capacity to communicate with God. (Genesis 1:27, 5:1; 1 Corinthians 11:7)
ii. Separation from God: When man, of his own free will, chose to disobey God, he sinned (the breaking of God's law). Sin separates us from God. As a sinner, man incurs not only physical death, but also spiritual death. (Romans 6:23; 3:10-23; Galatians 3:22)
6. THE ATONEMENT
A. “We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified based on His shed blood.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Representative: This means that Jesus Christ represented all the sins of the world. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) Adam was the representative of man in the fall. Christ is the representative of a saving sacrifice. (1 Corinthians 15:22) Therefore, if Christ represented all, His sacrifice will cover all. (John 3:16)
ii. Substitutionary: This is called the “vicarious” suffering, in that He died in our place. Christ did not die for His sin, (Hebrews 4:15,16; 1 John 3:5) but rather he dies for the sins of others. (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8)
iii. All: The gift of salvation provided by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is for all men. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13; 1 John 2:2)
iv. Justified: Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the guilty and depraved sinner to be righteous because of the sinner's repentance and belief in Christ.
v. (Man receives a new standing.) (Romans 5:1)
Salvation
C. “We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and, thereby, they become children of God and heirs of eternal life. This is a relationship in which they are eternally secure.”
D. Terms Explained:
i. Faith: Faith is defined in Hebrew 11:1, Paul, in his book to the Galatians, shows that faith is the only criterion of Salvation. Works are ruled out. Therefore, a man is saved by faith alone and is kept not by his works, but through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:5,8,9)
ii. Born Again: The word signifies a “Change of Direction.” It is essential to salvation. (John 3:7) In the “new birth,” we are born of the Word of God and Spirit of God. (John 3:5; 4:14; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 1:23) This brings spiritual life, as the birth of the flesh brings physical life.
iii. Children: We become the Sons of God because of what Christ has done for us. (John 3:5; 4:14; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Peter 1:23) This brings spiritual life, as the birth of the flesh brings physical life.
iv. Eternally Secure: We are saved for eternity. (John 3:36) We cannot fall from grace because our salvation does not depend on works; but, we are kept through the eternal grace of God. Therefore, all true believers, once saved, shall be kept saved forever. We believe that God loves to the uttermost. (John 13:1) He purposes to keep, despite everything. (John 10:28-30; 2 Timothy 1:12) He intends to present us faultless before Himself (Jude 24) His son ever lives to make intercession. To keep is saved. (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1) His spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) His Word guarantees that nothing (Including ourselves) can separate us from Christ. (Romans 8:28-39)
7. THE FUTURE STATE
A. “We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost in Hell, and the everlasting blessedness of the saved in Heaven.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Bodily Resurrection: Those saints who are “Asleep in Jesus” will be raised at the same time the living saints are “raptured” and changed. (This will be before the Tribulation.) (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58) After the Millennium, all the unsaved will stand before the Great White Throne of Judgement. Those not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment. (Revelation 20:11-15)
ii. Everlasting Conscious Punishment: Luke 16:23-31 explains this. Also see John 5:24-29.
iii. Hell: Hell is an actual place. Hades (abode of the unseen dead) is where unsaved men go now; and after the final judgement, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 13:36-43)
iv. Everlasting Blessedness: (2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Peter 1:3,4; Revelation 7:16, 17; 21:4)
v. Heaven: We believe Heaven to be a literal place where Jesus Christ is preparing an eternal home for believers of all ages. (John 14:1-6; Hebrew 11:10-16)
8. THE DEVIL
A. “We believe in the existence of a personal devil (Satan) who is still working in the world to destroy the souls of men, and that he and all his angels who receive not Christ as their Savior will eternally perish in the Lake of Fire.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Devil: He was a created being – one of Heaven's highest angels, (Lucifer), but he fell because he wanted to be greater than God – pride as seen in his is of “I”. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:1-11)
ii. Eternally Perish: Revelation 20:10, 14:11, 19:20 describes the final doom of the devil and his angels.
9. THE CHURCH
A. “We believe in the Church, the Body of Christ, whose mission is to preach the Gospel to all the world, all of its endeavors being supported by God's financial plan of the tithes and offerings.”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Body of Christ: The collective body of believers in Jesus Christ is the Church. (Ephesians 5:23-32; Colossians 1:18)
ii. Mission: The church mission is described in Mark 16:15; Roman 15:6 and Ephesians 1:15-23.
iii. Tithes: The giving of tithes is described in Genesis 14:18-21,28; 10-22; Malachi 3:8-10; 1 Corinthians 9:6-8 and Hebrews 7:1-9. The word “Tithe” means a tenth.
iv. Offerings: The giving of offerings is described in 2 Chronicles 31:12. An offering is that amount given above 10%. (Hebrew custom)
10. THE ORDINANCES
A. “We believe that the ordinances given to the Church by our Lord are baptism (by immersion following conversion) and communion (The lord’s supper).”
B. Terms Explained:
i. Baptism: This is an outward act demonstrating an inward change. Christian baptism (by immersion) is the testimony of a believer portraying his faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and his union with Him in dying to his sins and rising in newness of life. (Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:11-12) It is also a sign of fellowship ad identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20) Baptism follows one’s acceptance of Christ as Savior. (Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48; 18:8)
ii. Communion: (The Lord's Supper): This ordinance was instituted by our Lord on the night in which He was betrayed. (Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:17-20) The apostle Paul gives instruction for its use in (1 Corinthians 11:23-30). It is a continuing memorial of the broken body of Christ established for His Church to follow and observe, but will not save one from sin.
We believe that all the foregoing are Bible doctrines; therefore, we stand firm upon this declaration of our faith.
